- AR startup deepens ties with display and semiconductor suppliers amid rapid fundraising
- Company ramps up ambitions for AI glasses despite skepticism over mass-market demand
Chinese AR eyewear startup Rokid has secured a new strategic investment from Shenzhen-based Seichitech, a semiconductor producer, the latest in a string of financing deals as the company accelerates its push into AI-powered smart glasses.
The companies did not disclose the size of the investment or Seichitech’s stake. The partnership will combine Rokid’s AR and AI hardware ecosystem with Seichitech’s expertise in Micro LED inspection technology, which is used in advanced display manufacturing, Chinese media reported on May 14.
Under the agreement, Rokid plans to integrate Seichitech’s testing technologies into its AR hardware development process to improve product performance and manufacturing yields.
For its part, Seichitech will gain access to broader commercial applications for its display inspection systems.
The investment follows another strategic financing disclosed on May 11, when Shenzhen-based Fibocom, a wireless communication module manufacturer, injected an undisclosed amount of money into Rokid. On May 6, Chinese chipmaker Awinic Electronics also became a shareholder in Rokid.
Rokid has accelerated fundraising since the start of the year. In late January, the company completed four rounds of capital increases within six days, lifting its registered capital from 2.88 million yuan ($422,914) to 13.96 million yuan and bringing in big-name investors including Lens Technology and SenseTime.
On March 17, Huace Film & TV, a media and entertainment company, invested 90 million yuan in the Hangzhou-based startup. Another investor Conant Optical, a traditional lens maker, shelled out 180 million yuan in a strategic deal announced on March 29.
Rokid’s registered capital has since expanded to 35.71 million yuan, though the company has not commented on market speculation surrounding a potential public listing.
Founded in 2011 and listed on Shanghai’s Nasdaq-style STAR Market in 2023, Seichitech specializes in display and semiconductor memory inspection systems and counts major Chinese panel makers including BOE Technology, TCL and Visionox among its clients.
Rokid develops both consumer-facing and industry-grade AR hardware, spanning smart glasses, industrial AR headsets, AI interaction accessories and spatial computing platforms.
‘Aggressive’ sales targets
Publicly records show cumulative shipments of its consumer AR glasses have surpassed 300,000 units. The company’s industrial AR headsets have also been deployed at scale across industrial clients, though shipments remain unknown.
Founder Misa Zhu previously said Rokid had secured more than 200,000 orders in 2025 and set sales targets of 2-3 million units for 2026, rising to 10 million units in 2027.
Those projections were widely blasted by industry observers as “too aggressive,” amid ongoing debate over when AI glasses will achieve mainstream adoption.
